Mexican National Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

Council Bluffs, Iowa - A Mexican national and former California resident was sentenced on August 27, 2026, to 13 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Jose Alfredo Moreno Hernandez, 35, conspired with other individuals to distribute methamphetamine. From December 2020 to the fall of 2025, Moreno Hernandez mailed packages containing a total of more than 35 pounds (16 kilograms) of methamphetamine to locations in Iowa and Florida. Moreno Hernandez received packages containing drug proceeds at his Delano, California residence and distributed the proceeds to other co-conspirators.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Moreno Hernandez will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. An immigration detainer is in place.

United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Investigation Service, Internal Revenue Service, Homeland Security Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mid-Iowa Drug Task Force, and Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement - West investigated the case.